Automatic packing apparatus.



PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

F W LASSIG & G WALTHER AUTOMATIC PACKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 26.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lnventord, WWW i Witnesses- No. 798,609. I PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. F. W. LASSIG & G. WALTHER.

AUTOMATIC PACKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26,1904.

2 snnnws-snnnr 2,

UNITED STATES EAIIENII OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC PACKING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed February 26,1904. Serial No. 195,464.

To 1.1! u'ltom, if; ntrty cancer/1 Be it known that we, Fnrrz \VILII ELu Ljissro and GUsrAv ALTHER, subjects of the Emperor of Germany, both residing at Uhemnitz,

in the Empire of Germany, have invented certhe shipment of the goods packed in bottles,

boxes, tins, separated into smaller or larger lots, or else loose pieces not packed up at all requires a good deal of care and a considerable amount of expense in wages When great quantities of such goods have to be sent out ordered separately into lots.

This invention relates to a device for arranging the single pieces supplied to it at a quick rate and collecting them in a magazine destined for shipment. The present device differs from known arrangements of the same kind in that it consists of two guideframes of different size, the smaller of which is adapted to slide within the other in two different directions at right angles to each other, or horizontally and vertically. In the smaller frame a magazine consisting of wood, pressed paper, metal, or the like is, moreover, detachably arranged. A large number of holes for the reception of the goods are arranged in the magazine, and the two frames are adapted to be moved step by step by suitable means in a very rapid manner, so that the openings of the magazine are successively brought in front of a goods-delivering apparatus. Each empty magazine arranged in the frame is thereby filled within a comparatively short time with all kinds of articlesbottles of pills, gelatin capsules, preserve-tins, spools of thread, and the like without any considerable assistance by hand. The magazine is then taken out of the frame and replaced by a new one, which is treated in the same way. According to requirements, the magazines may be constructed durably of metal or rubber. So, for instance, when they are to be usedfor the transport from one machine to another, when the articles are still to be subjected to further opcrationsfor instance, labeling--or else they may be made of an inferior material, so that after being packed in i other direction of rotation.

cases they are ready for transport or export and only serve as a packing which is destroyed after use.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a crosssection on theline A in Fig. 2; and Fig. 2, a front view of the apparatus, which, according to the nature of the goods or according to the construction of the packing-machine of which it forms a part, may be standing vertically, horizontally, or even obliquely. Fig. 3 represents a form of construction of a magazine. Fig. I is an elevation of the packingmachine with the present apparatus attached to same in a position to receive the goods, a part of the machine being broken away for the sake of clearness.

The magazine 1 is a flat board detachably mounted in the metal frame 2 in any suitable manner. This frame 2 is slidable vertically in a second frame 3 and is moved up and down in the same by means of a rack 4, attached to it, and a pinion 5, engaging said rack, the pinion rotating around the pivot 10, fastened to the frame 3. This frame 3 is adapted to slide horizontally in the frame 6, which is stationary and attached to the base 32 of the packing-machine 33, provided with a cover 3 by means of supports (See Fig. at.) The frame 3, as is clearly visible from Figs. I and 2, receives its horizontal motion from a rack '7, attached to it, which engages a pinion 8, rotating around a pivot 9, the latter being fastened to the frame 6.

Rigidly attached to the pinion 5 is a ratchetwheel 11, which is prevented from moving backward by its detent 12, while its forward movement/'. a, that which moves the frame 2 in the direction of the arrow 13--is brought about by one of its teeth at the end of each horizontal movement of the frame 3 butting against one of the two stationary catches or pawls 14 or 15, so that the ratchet-wheel 11 is thereby moved the distance of one pitch. The ratio of transmission is so adjusted that on turning the ratchet-wheel 11 by one pitch the frame 2 is lifted the difference of height between two rows of holes.

The pinion 8 is actuated in the following manner: Around a pivot 16, firmly attached to the machine-frame, a lever IT swings up and down, said lever receiving its motion from a connecting-rod lb, while one of the catches 19 20 constantly engages one of the teeth of the pinion 8, thus moving it in one or the The adjustment of the catches 19 20 is regulated by means of cams 21 22, pressed against a toothed segment 23 by the spring 24. This segment 23, with its front cam end 25, is so arranged that at the end of the horizontal movement of the frame 3 it comes in contact with the cam 26, as shown in Fig. 2, and at the end of its movement in the opposite direction it comes in contact with the cam 27, said cams 26 27 being stationary and part of the machineframe.

As shown in Fig. 4, the machine is moved by means of belt driving mechanism consisting of the fixed pulley 36 and loose pulley 37, with the belt 38 according to requirements adapted to drive on one or the other pulley 36 37. Fixed to the back of the machine is a spring 39, with its other end engaging in a belt-shifting slide 40. The lever 31 is attached to a two-armed lever 41, pivoted at 42 to the machine and provided with an elbow 43, coming up against an arm 44. Attached to the slide 40 with one end and with the other end at 45 to the machine is a lever 46, a second and shorter lever 47 also being fixed to said pivot 45, said lever 47 with its other end engaging the arm 44. Arranged at the front side of the machine is a projection 46, adapted to engage the arm 44 and hold it fast. Keyed on the same shaft with the pulleys 36 37 and journaled in the pillow-block 48 is a worm 49, engaging a worm-wheel 50, attached to a shaft 51, on which latter also a groove-cam 52 is arranged. In the groove of said cam a roller 53 is provided, said roller being attached to a slidable fork 54, fixed to a shaft 55, journaled in the machine. Also arranged in the support 48 at its top is a shaft 56, carrying the spindle 57, adapted to place the goods in the magazine. Fixed to the connecting-rod 18 at 58 is a double lever 59, which is pivoted to the machine at 60 and partakes in the movements of the rod 18. Also fixed to the machine-frame and pivoted at 61 is a lever 62, provided with a screw 63, resting on said lever 59. Attached to the latter with one end and with the other to the machine is a spring 64, adapted to draw the lever 59 upward on its release from the screw 63. Fixed to the shaft 55 is the goods-deliverer 65, to which the lever 62 is attached with one end.

The apparatus as described above operates as follows: Supposing the belt 38 to be running on the fixed pulley 36 and the apparatus in such a position with regard to the machine that the hole a of the magazine-frame is situated in front of the distributing mechanism of said machineto wit,in front of the spindle 57then the shaft 55, with the goods-deliverer 65, will be moved to and fro through the medium of the worm 49, worm-wheel 50, groove-cam 52, roller 53, and fork 54. On the forward movement of the fork 54, with the shaft 55 and the goods-deliverer 65, the lever 62, which partakes in said movement, is turned on the pivot 61. In consequence there- Now the article is inserted in the hole a by 2 means of 65, whereupon the lever 62, with the screw 63, is moved back through the medium of the deliverer 65, said screw 63 forcing the lever 59 down again, thereby overcoming the force of the spring 64, said downward movement being transmitted to the rod 18 and the lever 17. The catch 19 is at this moment disengaged from the pinion 8, the catch 20, however, engaged with it, so that the pinion 8 will be moved round to the left'for a certain distance, (see Fig. 2,) and in consequence thereof the opening 6 of the magazine-frame will come in front of the spindle 57 and will likewise be filled. In this manner the operation continues until all of the holes in the top row have been filled, thus also the last hole 0. At the next downward stroke of the lever'17 the catch 20 engages the pinion 8 for the last time, the cam 27 thereby pushing the cam end 25 of the segment 23 to the left. Consequently the catch 20 will be disengaged and the catch 19 engaged with the pinion 8, and at the same time the pawl 15 has turned the ratchet-wheel 11 by one pitch, so that the frame 2 is moved vertically upward and the frame 3 horizontally to the left, so that the hole (Z will be 5 brought in front of the spindle 57. Now the frame 3 will be moved step by step to the right until the hole a is filled, when the cam 26 will butt against the cam 25 and pawl 14 turns the ratchet-wheel 11 by one pitch, so that the hole f gets opposite the distributing mechanism. In this way all the holes of the magazine are filled until the last hole .2 has also received its turn, when the catch 14 for the last time during this operation causes the frame to accomplish its last upward movement in the direction of the arrow 13. At this moment the pin 28, attached to the frame 2, strikes against the lever 30, swinging around the stationary pivot 29, thereby moving the connecting-rod 31 downward. In consequence thereof the lever 41 is oscillated downward on its pivot 42, the elbow 43 thereby lifting the lever 44 up and disengaging it from the projection 46. Then the spring 39 draws the lever 46 through the medium of the slide 40 to the right, thus moving the belt 38 from the fixed pulley 36 to the loose pulley 37 and stopping the machine. Thereby the short lever 47 partakes in the movement of the lever 46, drawing the lever 44 along with it and the end of the latter sliding upon the projection 46. Then the filled magazine is to be changed for an empty one and the whole mechanism placed in its initial position, this being aided by a knob 66, fixed to the short lever 47.

The magazine (represented in Fig. 3 of the drawings) serves for the purpose of packing up as many articles as possible in the small est possible space in a suitable manner for transatlantic export shipment. It consists of honeycomb-like cells joined together, these cells having the form of hexagonal prisms, which are held together by a frame fitting in the frame 2, Figs. 1 and 2. These numerous cells may be produced in a very accurate manner "for instance, by cutting rings from long tubes of hexagonal section, the height of these rings being equal to the depth of the magazine, and joining said rings by soldering in the manner as shown in Fig. 3. Such magazines, which may also consist of strips of cardboard, are very well adapted for packing hexagonal prismatic glass bottles, and the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is then brought in front of the delivery mechanism of one of those well-known corking-machines, l

which automatially close the bottles with corks and seal the corks with tin foil.

Ilaving now fully described our invention, we claim the followin 1. In an automatic packing apparatus for quantities of separate articles the combination of three guiding-frames adapted to slide relatively to each other, the first within the second and the second within the third at an angle to the movement of the first, of a magazine provided with openings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, with means for moving said magazine intermittently, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic packing apparatus for quantities of separate articles the combination of three guiding-frames adapted to slide relatively to each other, the first within the second and the second within the third at an angle to the movement of the first, of a magazine detachably arranged in one of said guiding-frames and provided with openings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, with means for moving said magazine intermittently, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I). In an automatic packing apparatus for quantities of separate articles the combination of three guiding-frames, with means for sliding one of said guiding-frames rectilinearly within the second one, and means for sliding the latter in the third guiding-frame in a direction at right angles to the move ment of the first guiding-frame, and a magazine detachably arranged in said first guidingframe, provided with openings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I. In an automatic packing apparatus for rmantities of separate articles, the combination of three guiding-frames and a magazine detachably arranged in one of said guidingframes, provided with openings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, of a rack and a pinion engaging said rack for moving the magazine-carrying frame in a lateral direction and a second rack and pinion for moving the frame -arrying the magazinecarrying frame in a direction at right angles to the first one, substantially as set forth.

In an automatic packing apparatus for quantities of separate articles, the combination of three guiding-frames and a magazine detachably arranged in one of said guidingframes provided with j penings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, of a rack and pinion engaging said rack, and a pair of pawls adapted to be moved up and down engaging the pinion on each side for rotating the latter in both directions of rotation respectively, and a second rack and pinion for moving the frame carrying the magazine-carrying frame in a direction at right angles to the first one, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

(:3. In an automatic packing apparatus for quantities of separate articles the combination of three guiding-frames and a magazine detachably arranged in one of said guidingframes, provided with openings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, of a rack and a pinion engaging said rack, and a pair of pawls adapted to be moved up and down engaging the pinion on each side for rotating the latter in both directions of rotation respectively, of an antomaticall v-reversi ble cam and a second rack and pinion for moving the frame carrying the magazine-carrying frame in a direction at right angles to the first one, of two stationary butt-pawls with which the second pinion engages respectively at the end of each lateral movement produced by the first rack and pinion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

T. In an automatic packing apparatus for quantitiesofseparate articles, the combination of three guiding-'frames, with means for sliding one of said guiding-frames rectilinearly within the second one, and means for sliding the latter in the third guiding-frame in a direction at right angles to the movement of the first guiding-frame, and a magazine detachably arranged in said latter guidingframe, provided with openings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, of a pin located adjacent to the top of said magazine to strike a pivotally-arranged lever at the end of the upward movement of said magazine, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an automatic packing apparatus for quantities o'fseparate articles, the combination of three guiding-frames with means for sliding one of said guiding-frames rectilinearly within the second one, and means for sliding the latter in the third guiding-frame in a direction at right angles to the movement of the first guiding-frame, and a magazine detachabl y arranged in said latter guidingframe provided with openings arranged in series for the reception of the articles, of a pin attached to the guiding-frame inclosing the &

ably arranged Within said first guiding-frame, said magazine being provided With openings of optional section arranged over the Whole surface of the same in series, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We affiX our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

FRITZ VVILHELM LASSIG. GUSTAV WALTI-IER.

\Vitnesses:

MORRIS LIPMAN, FREDERIOI J. DIETZMAN. 

